A schoolboy who fell 25ft from cliffs while on a school trip was seriously ill in hospital today.

The 10-year-old, from Stannington, near Morpeth, was visiting Tynemouth Priory when he fell from the cliffs.

He was airlifted to Newcastle General Hospital where his condition has been described as serious but stable.

The boy, who has not been named, fell around 25 ft last Saturday afternoon and crews from Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, paramedics, police and the air ambulance from Blyth were scrambled to the scene at Penball Crag in King Edward's Bay.

Will Hogg, of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, said: "It is extremely dangerous and the boy was extremely lucky not to have been killed.